


Spring Chorus

by Verlaine



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-02
Updated: 2011-02-02
Packaged: 2017-10-15 07:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/158712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verlaine/pseuds/Verlaine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A spring night is the perfect time to come out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spring Chorus

"At least we managed to get the damn duck off the roof."

Hutch was pretty sure that statement wouldn't go over well, and he was right. Starsky ostentatiously cocked his head to one side, and cupped a hand behind his ear.

"Yeah, buddy, good work. That just leaves the frogs croaking, the crickets chirping, the—what the hell _are_ those things anyway?"

"Whippoorwills." Hutch sighed. "They're little brown birds, very quiet and shy—"

"Quiet?" Starsky looked at him in open disbelief. The look that said 'Hutch, you're a liar and meany.' "They're giving the damn frogs a run for their money. Hell, between 'em, they'd probably drown out the music at Fever's tonight."

"C'mon, Starsk, it's spring. You know, every amphibian's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love and all that stuff."

"And so they gotta yap all night?"

"Not everybody has to keep quiet about the way they feel."

Hutch could have bitten his tongue off the instant the last word was out. A look of hurt and shock flashed over Starsky's face so quickly that Hutch was sure he was the only person who'd have noticed it. The look that replaced it worried Hutch even more: it was the reckless, challenging look Starsky got when he was punching over his weight, when he knew he'd probably lose the fight but wouldn't go down without doing a lot of damage.

"I didn't mean—" Hutch broke off. "It's not _you_. It's—" He waved an arm wildly. "Everything."

"You ready to pack it in for me?"

"Are you?" Hutch shot back.

Starsky dropped his eyes. His shoulders slumped. He shook his head.

"Hypocrite," he muttered, and kicked listlessly at the chair beside him.

"Hey." Hutch gently gripped his arms and gave him a light shake. "If things were different, I'd tell everybody. Hell, I'd even change my name."

"Liar." Starsky looked up at him a hint of a smile. "Ken Starsky? You'd plotz."

"Worth a try, right?"

"You might regret that." Suddenly Starsky's smile broadened. He pulled away and marched over to the open shelving in the bedroom and hauled down an armful of blankets. "You wanna come out? Okay, buddy, you're on."

"What?"

"You know something? You're right. It's time we shared with the big wide world, and here's our chance to do it."

"Do what? Starsky, use your head. It's freezing out there, it's only April, there's no way we can sleep outside."

"Who said anything about sleeping, huh? You want out of the closet, let's do it. We've got the lake all to ourselves, not a soul closer than town, the frogs and crickets and whippo birds makin' enough noise nobody could hear us even if they were. Let's go."

"I kind of meant out of the closet, not out of the house altogether," Hutch said weakly, but when Starsky turned at the door and looked at him through half-lowered eyelashes, Hutch found himself moving, pulling down another pile of blankets from the shelf and following Starsky out into the crisp spring night.

A long time later, Hutch realized to his surprise that he was warm and comfortable, despite being naked in a pile of blankets on the ground in the middle of the yard behind the cabin.

In the middle of the night.

In April.

 _Must be something to do with Starsky,_ he thought, squirming a little closer and wrapping his arm around the source of warmth beside him.

Starsky stirred sleepily.

"Hey, Hutch , you wanna sing something for me?"

"Add my voice to the spring chorus?" Hutch thought for minute, and then began to hum.

"It's not that easy being green . . . "


End file.
